Learning to understand the important role that the body plays in mental wellbeing and actively nourishing a relationship with your body is one of the most valuable things you can do for yourself.
In my counselling practice, I see how people can be disconnected from understanding their bodies in many different ways. Here are some examples:
Anxiety – Symptoms of anxiety such as a racing mind, overthinking, and panic attacks can keep someone stuck in their mind, often overriding experiencing a confusing set of corresponding physical symptoms that could provide insight about their nervous system.
Health anxiety – This is a branch of anxiety which does cause the individual to be aware of their body but not always in the most helpful way. It causes hypervigilance to physical sensations, often leading to catastrophic thinking about normal bodily functions.
Low mood – The low mood and intrusive thoughts of depression can make your whole being feel heavy. This can sustain a focus on negative thoughts and feelings and a rejection of things like movement and improving gut health which are physical factors that can improve mood.
Trauma – When thinking about trauma, it can be helpful to remember that ‘the body keeps the score’. If someone has experienced trauma, suppressed emotions can remain stuck in the body. These can often show up in physical conditions which the individual is unaware are related to what they’ve experienced.
Eating issues – If someone has disordered eating, it’s likely their body is giving them lots of clues about what it needs to feel better. However, they can miss the meaning of these clues because they’re disconnected. The body is clever at protecting itself and overriding signals such as hunger and fullness, or avoiding root causes of symptoms like tiredness and bloating keep the cycle going.
Poor body image – People with poor body image are typically disconnected from the amazing entity that is the human body. A focus on appearance and critical thinking can mean they are out of touch with the magic of what goes on inside their body.
Chronic pain – Chronic pain is a significant problem for many people. Pain in the body can also be linked to the storing of emotions from historic negative experiences which have not been processed mentally.
Low self-esteem and perfectionism – I regularly see how people with low self-esteem and/or perfectionism are so focused on self-criticism they are unconnected to their body. Their inner critic is very loud and can drown out messages the body is sending them which can lead to problems like burnout and immune system issues.
Your body is trying to help your mind
It may be stating the obvious, but our mind is not separate from our body – it’s all part of our physical self. Yet, there are a multitude of ways in this modern world, in which we do not understand or take notice of the messages our body is trying to tell us.
Becoming curious about our body and what it’s communicating can be a good starting point. In effect, it’s like the early stages of a friendship!
Why we override our body’s messages
Many people resist tuning into their body, and it’s understandable why:
Guilt and productivity culture – People with low self-worth or perfectionism often feel guilty for resting. If their body says ‘I’m tired’, they might keep busy to avoid sitting with the discomfort that rest brings up.
It feels uncomfortable – When you first start paying attention to your body, you might notice tension, pain, or difficult emotions. It can feel easier to stay distracted than to sit with what arises.
Mindfulness feels inaccessible – Practices that encourage stillness such as meditation and forms of yoga are often suggested remedies. But for someone stuck in anxiety or overwhelmed by depression, sitting still with their thoughts can be impossible or triggering.
What listening to your body actually looks like
Tuning into your body doesn’t have to mean sitting in lotus position for 20 minutes. It can be much simpler:
Tuning into what your body is asking for – Your body sends constant messages: tension that needs releasing, restlessness that needs movement, exhaustion that needs rest. These signals are information, not inconvenience. Paying attention to them is how you learn what you actually need.
Paying attention to sensations – Tension in your shoulders, butterflies in your stomach, a tight chest are all information. Your body may be communicating needs or warnings so be curious about why this is happening and what emotions may be involved.
Movement as medicine – For people with anxiety or low mood, somatic movement such as walking, dancing or active stretching can help shift stuck emotions in ways that thinking alone cannot. This is a way of embodiment movement that can be helpful to strengthen the connection between your mind and body.
Respecting tiredness – If your body is telling you it needs rest, just pushing through can make you depleted. If this is something you do on a regular basis, consider why you think you can’t take a break. A good friend would encourage you to put your feet up and recharge your batteries.
Examples
If the idea of traditional meditation feels too much, why not try a moving meditation:
Go for a walk without your phone. Notice your breath, listen to your footsteps, feel your feet connecting with the ground. This is an embodied practice without the discomfort of trying to sit still.
Or simply pause once a day and ask: ‘What is my body trying to tell me right now?’
You might notice you’re thirsty, tense, hungry, or exhausted. That’s valuable information.
Your body is your home
When you consistently override your body’s signals, you’re essentially saying your needs don’t matter. It’s a form of self-abandonment – the opposite of self-friendship.
A good friend listens when you say you’re tired, hungry, or uncomfortable. They don’t tell you to push through or ignore it. They encourage you to take care of yourself.
This week, practice responding to just one body signal instead of overriding it. Notice what comes up and how it feels.
Your body has been trying to help you all along. What might it be telling you?
